Teaching With Bellatrix Black
by SaturnRider2014
Summary: An AU, in which the Wizarding Wars were thwarted before they began. Hermione Granger is a teacher at Hogwarts, and her newest colleague is proving to be…well. What more can you expect from Bellatrix Black? B/H
1. Prolouge

Title: Teaching with Bellatrix Black

Summary: An AU, in which the Wizarding Wars were thwarted before they began. Hermione Granger is a teacher at Hogwarts, and her newest colleague is proving to be…well. What more can you expect from Bellatrix Black? B/H

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story besides my own little filler characters. I am merely borrowing them to use as my little mind puppets. So if you recognize the name it most likely isn't mine or is a total coincidence.

*Any grammar and spelling issues are all my own problem.*

_A/N: This was inspired by a Tumblr requester who wanted to see a B/H fanfic where the two were both teachers and had a lot of sex, and while I enjoy reading PWP I prefer to write with some kind of plot. So depending on how this goes, this could be a medium-slow burn. If I'm being honest though I like writing long fics, but I tend to drop projects because of lack of ability to write a plot that can hold interest, but this is the first fic in awhile that I've started that's gripped my interest past the first 5,000 or so words. So fingers crossed, yeah?_

~ Prologue ~

Hermione frowned down at the papers in front of her. It was grading night at Hogwarts. All Hogwarts professors were cooped up in their respective quarters or offices grading the last exams, the last essays, the last projects of the year. One hand came up to her mouth and fingers traced her lips daintily as the quill in her hand flourished and scratched out comments on a 6th year's final Transfiguration essay. She sighed as she wrote a final comment and grade before flicking her wand and putting it into the enchanted grading bin that read and complied grades for students in the gradebook setting open in front of it. The large book immediately began to flip through its pages and moments later the previous grade sank away and was replaced with a red marked character that showed the grade she'd chosen had dipped his grade into a failing mark.

She shook her head with a frown, "Bloody hell." The expression was rare, but grading night was a night that involved much cursing for some professors, Hermione especially. Minerva looked up, a smirk spreading as she sipped her tea spiked with a little something extra to get her through the mountains of parchment, but not too much as to influence her judgment.

The older witch sighed softly to herself, "Which one this year?"

"There's a couple but this particular one. Jeremy Thorncrest, 6th year." She sighed, "He tried so hard this year. I tried to be as lenient as I could, but he's just dipped into red."

Minerva leaned forward and made a quiet noise in her throat, "I'm sure we can find something, he is very close. How hard has he tried?"

"He tells the students he's had detention with me, when I've been tutoring him, trying to help him through the lessons."

"How many nights a week?"

"Three."

The older witch was impressed, "Oh, yes we'll find something."

The courtyard clock could be heard as it tolled in the distance, claiming it to be 3 AM. This just so happened to be the time that Hermione and Minerva finished their grading. A cat patronus bounded away and Hermione followed it with her eyes as it disappeared through the door, "What's that for?"

"Off to see if there's anyone still awake who needs help finishing up or just finished, perhaps wanting to have a drink in the wee hours of morning." She stood to take a bottle of firewhiskey off the shelf and after pouring two glasses, one which went to Hermione's already outstretched hand, she flicked her wand at the door and in strolled an exhausted looking Pomona Sprout with her apprentice, Neville Longbottom, trailing behind her. Severus Snape a few steps behind them with a frazzled looking Draco Malfoy. And then in strolled a freshly woken, Rolanda Hooch, whom was happy that her position as Flying Instructor didn't require annual participation in grading night.

Everyone grabbed a seat in Minerva's quarters and the bottle of firewhiskey was passed around, poured into glasses in various amounts, and after an argument regarding the fact that the Rolanda wasn't even part of the grading night and thus shouldn't be involved in the early morning toast to success anyways, they settled that she'd get a glass last just to ensure all the teachers and apprentices got their glasses filled to their liking first, and then all leaned forward lazy and Minerva smiled, "To surviving yet another grading night!"

There was a lazy and quiet cheer of agreement and then Rolanda bumped her shoulder into Minerva, "Forgetting something in your old age, Minnie?"

The Gryffindor head rolled her eyes, "Ignoring is more like."

"Aw! Don't be that way. Listen everyone there's something else to be toasted."

Draco huffed as he rested the glass on his knee, "What are you going on about?"

Minerva glared at Rolanda, "Dumbledore's stepping down."

"What?!" Snape and most of the room said and the man's dark eyes narrowed, "Why?"

"I don't know. He's refused to say, but as you could guess as the Deputy Headmistress I'll be taking his place during the next school year." Hermione paled as McGonagall smiled to her, "Which means Hermione will be taking all responsibility of teaching all my classes next year."

The young woman gulped and looked her two fellow apprentices for the last five years. Neville, who'd been specializing in Herbology, and Draco, who'd been specializing in Potions (though the young man had yet to decide whether or not he'd be staying at Hogwarts to succeed his mentor some day).

Hermione hadn't anticipated this. She'd expected some years into the future that she'd take some of Minerva's responsibilities, plan classes and teach more independently, help with her duties as Head of Gryffindor, but to succeed her entirely so soon? She was blown away. Neville who was sitting beside her took her hand gently, "Nothing to worry, 'bout 'Mione. You'll do great. Everyone knows you're the brightest witch of our age." Draco gave a slight nod in agreement.

The night continued quietly as the teachers drank and talked and when they tired each slowly drifted away, back to their respective quarters. Soon it was only Hermione and McGonagall once again. Both stretched out lazily on loveseats that faced the other. Hermione yawned, "So…this is really happening? This time next year I'll have just finished my first solo grading night?"

Minerva smiled, "I have total faith in you and if you need help all the staff at Hogwarts will be able to support you, myself especially. I'll be leaving you with all my teaching material, so you'll have a very well off start for next year, but in other news, the curse on the position of Defense of Against the Dark Arts still seems to be in place. There are whispers that Professor Lupin is planning to step down. So I'll need to go through the applications for the positions once again."

"Why not Severus? Draco could take Potions Master."

Minerva sighed, "I know that Severus is very attracted to the position, but I think he's better suited to teach Potions, and Draco isn't ready and to place him under that stress I'm sure that he wouldn't decide to stay with Hogwarts after that or return when we need a new Potions Master."

"I suppose you're right." Hermione sighed, "So do you have your eyes set on anyone for a new DADA professor?"

Minerva sighed, "There is someone that comes to mind, but I'm not sure if she actually applied for it, or if she'd even want it. It would cause a few problems as well."

"Who is it?"

"Bellatrix Black."

~ Bellatrix / Hermione ~

Hermione blinked as she woke up from the haze of her firewhiskey induced coma. She glanced at the clock it was nearly nine in the morning which was an early start for them considering the amount they'd drank, but it was an uncharacteristically late start for the transfiguration teacher and her apprentice on all other days. She sat up slowly and groaned as she rubbed at her temples. She got up and gripped the first part of Minerva she happened to pass, her foot, and demanded she get up and join her to breakfast with the other staff members and the students that were due to leave tonight.

Hermione went to her room and stripped away from clothes from the previous night and quickly dressed in a well fitted outfit of a pair of khaki trousers and a high necked red shirt with gold embroidery. She grabbed her witch's hat, much like Minerva's, as a last minute thought and went back into the main room. Minerva sighed as she ran a hand through the gray streaked hair she'd loosened from the usual bun. Hermione grabbed two small bottles filled with a light blue potion. She put one into Minerva's hand and smiled, "Severus' hangover cure to the rescue?"

"Cheers." The older witch smiled and uncorked the flask and downed it as Hermione did.

The younger witch shook herself out as the potion cleared up the hangover effects rather quickly. "I'm going to go make an appearance at breakfast. See you there?"

Minerva nodded and stood up to go change and ready herself for the rest of the day as Hermione passed smiling at the grading book as she did. She took her wand and quickly with a flick summoned her usual plain black robes to her and continued out of the portrait towards the Dining Hall. Breakfast was in full swing when Hermione arrived walking briskly, as always channeling her inner lion. She smiled at some of her students and stopped suddenly as she caught a rather anxious looking Jeremy Thorncrest's eye. She flicked her wand and filled the plate with his usual large helping of French toast and bacon, "I think a celebratory breakfast is in order, Mr. Thorncrest."

He frowned at the helping on his plate, "What do you mean?"

Hermione smiled, as his other friends began to smile in understanding, "I mean that you've passed Transfiguration, Mr. Thorncrest. Congratulations." She patted his shoulder and continued on to the staff table and took a seat besides Minerva's seat on Dumbledore's left side with Severus and Draco beside her. She grabbed two slices of toast and a helping of scrambled eggs and a few sausage links. She only briefly saw a flash of orange as the aging Crookshanks darted from below the Gryffindor table to sit between Hermione's feet at the staff table. His age was showing and the running to his place at her feet was obviously tiring on him. Instead of his usual post of vigilance he curled up between her legs and meowed at her softly. She frowned and pushed out her chair and gently ran her hand through his scruff. She set a bit of food on saucer in front of him for his breakfast and whispered, "Come on. Eat up, Crooks. Afraid you've passed your 'I catch all my own meals' days."

Draco chuckled, "How old is that bloody cat, Granger?"

Hermione sat up offended in her cat's place, as he picked at his food lightly before falling back to sleep, "He'll be 38 this summer."

Draco raised his hand a light apology for the offense, "Out of curiosity though, how has he lasted this long?"

"He's half-kneazle. They're bred to have longer lives than most cats." She fussed a bit with her food as she thought, "But he's coming to the end of his years all the same…"

The other apprentice quieted, "He's had an interesting life though I'm sure."

"I've seen pictures of him with some of his previous owners. All amazing witches and wizards, a few aurors even. I'm sure he'll have quite a story to tell when he reaches the end." She continued to eat and had nearly finished when McGonagall arrived. She waited for the older witch to gather her meal on her plate before leaning over to ask quietly, "Were you serious last night?"

"About what, Ms. Granger?"

"Regarding the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

"Oh, yes. I was."

"You can't really be considering…her?"

"I am."

"But why? Her track record…"

"Before her stint of experimentation with the darker sides of magic, she was apprenticed to teach by one of the finest wizards in the field."

"Yes, but that was before he and his apprentice turned to dark magic and nearly started a war!" Hermione whispered critically.

Minerva sighed, "She was my student Hermione, and in many ways you reminded me of her at when you were younger. She was misguided by her teacher. Tom Riddle was a man that was twisted and snarled by his upbringing. Bellatrix was a loyal student and a dedicated teacher. She would've had the job ages ago if not for her exploits with Riddle."

"She was put in Azkaban for 5 years for her use of her Unforgivables!" She growled.

Minerva sighed, "It was a mistake. She's rigid and stubborn to most, but to those she perceives as her teachers, her superiors, she's pliable in the worst ways. I knew her before she'd met him and her morals were good, but when Tom began to experiment with dark magic, Bella was _so_ eager to please him. She didn't want to be left behind by the man that had taught her her trade." McGonagall sighed, "She was young then, and 5 years in Azkaban…I wasn't even able to contact her until a year and a half after her release, and even then it was difficult for her. She's changed though, rectified her mistakes. I'm sure of it."

"So there's no changing your mind?"

"The only one that could change my mind is Bellatrix herself."

"Well. I suppose that settles it, but I reserve the right to say, 'I told you so', if something goes awry with this plan of yours."


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Teaching with Bellatrix Black

Summary: An AU, in which the Wizarding Wars were thwarted before they began. Hermione Granger is a teacher at Hogwarts, and her newest colleague is proving to be…well. What more can you expect from Bellatrix Black? B/H

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story besides my own little filler characters. I am merely borrowing them to use as my little mind puppets. So if you recognize the name it most likely isn't mine or is a total coincidence.

*Any grammar and spelling issues are all my own problem.*

~ Chapter 1 ~

Hermione crossed her legs at the knee as she reclined in her chair in the Staff Room. There were 4 weeks of summer break left before the students returned to school for the next year. She'd spent the last month with various friends and family. She'd spent the first week with her best friend from school and remarkable auror, Harry Potter, staying with him at his partner and her friend, Ron's family. Then a week with her parents at their home. The rest of the time she'd decided to do some sight-seeing, staying a few nights with various friends and acquaintances and visiting landmarks until the day that she was needed back to prepare for the next year of Hogwarts.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as Crookshanks meowed loudly at her before jumping up to her lap. McGonagall was sitting at the head of the table looking over her notes for the staff meeting that should've began – Hermione checked her watch – should've began 8 minutes ago. She leaned forward to deduce who they could possibly be waiting on, as Minerva was usually quite serious about starting her meetings on her time and her time had demanded it start now 9 minutes ago, but obviously whoever they were waiting on was crucial to the topics needing to be discussed.

_So who's here?_ She asked herself, she needed to take Minutes for the meeting anyways so she quickly jotted down the date and name of the meeting and began writing down the participants.

_Minerva McGonagall (Headmistress), Hermione Granger (Transfiguration), Severus Snape (Potions), Draco Malfoy (Potions Apprentice), Pomona Sprout (Herbology), Neville Longbottom (Herbology Apprentice), Sybill Trelawney (Divination), Rolanda Hooch (Flying), Bathsheba Babbling (Ancient Runes), Cuthbert Binns (History of Magic), Charity Burbage (Muggle Studies), Filius Flitwick (Charms), Rubeus Hagrid (Care of Magical Creatures), Aurora Sinistra (Astronomy), Septima Vector (Arithmancy), Poppy Pomfrey (Matron), Imra Pince (Librarian), Argus Filch (Caretaker)_

She looked at the long list of names. She didn't see anyone missing at first glance, and then she saw it. The only department left unrepresented, "Unsurprisingly we're missing our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." She looked over at Minerva, "I hate to say it…"

Minerva glared over at her apprentice, "Don't start."

"Did she even reply to your letter?"

"Yes, she –"

At that Crookshanks suddenly tensed up and hissed loudly as a figure stepped through the door of the staff room. Hermione gathered him up into her arms to prevent him from gallivanting off to chase, but was surprised when he merely wiggled until he had his head turned to the door and was holding onto her by her shoulders, using his bulk to cover her chest as he hissed at the newest occupant of the room.

"Bellatrix!" Hermione barely registered Minerva's greeting in the back of her mind as she tried to sooth her beloved pet into releasing the shoulders of her robes from his claws. She ran her hand through his fur whispering calming assurances that she was fine, safe. No Crookshanks shield needed for this meeting. She was happy when he huffed and calmed, lying back in her lap a low growl still in his throat as he watched the newest occupant get closer and sit down directly across from Hermione's seat.

She finally looked up and registered that sitting across from her, currently adjusting her skirts and the end of her long coat to sit more comfortably, was the fashionably late Bellatrix Black. Her near coal black eyes glanced up and her smile was wide and taunting (her teeth presumably whited and restored to their former appearance after her stint in Azkaban). There was no other action or body language to suggest she was keen to attack, but the glint in her eyes…Hermione could sense the danger, as could Crookshanks, and she could see the line of a crack in her sanity. She wasn't completely devolved, but it was obvious that she wasn't a force to be trifled with either. She'd heard of infamous temper before Azkaban and she would guess that her stay there had only made it shorter and more primed to blow open.

Hermione watched her carefully, examining the tangle of thick, raven curls piled in such a way that it the placement of every curl looked both careless and meticulous as it contributed to her beauty. Her lips were somewhat thin, but were brought out against her pale skin and given the illusion of fullness by the red lipstick she wore and her long lashes accented with the pull of mascara. She was obviously a woman raised properly as she sat with prefect etiquette in her chair showing her expansive chest held captive by a leather corset and accented by the bird skull pendant that lay perfectly to guide the eye to the valley between her breasts, and Hermione could only imagine the leggings and black skirt hidden by the table. She wore a long black leather coat that was still somewhat damp from her traveling in the rain from wherever she'd been before this meeting.

In that moment, Hermione was terrified. This woman was beautiful, but tainted by dark magic. She was enrapturing, and yet she was a monster primed with the knowledge and willpower to kill.

Bellatrix smirked and then turned her gaze, "Sorry I'm late."

She leaned forward and turned her head to Draco, "How's Cissy-dear, Draco?"

"Mum's fine." Draco was just barely smiling to her, and it was in that moment that Hermione recalled that Bellatrix was his aunt. His mother was a Black before she'd married into the Malfoy family. She'd have to ask him more about the woman if she made it through the first week of standing in front of a class.

Hermione leaned forward adjusting the still openly agitated Crookshanks in her lap to better take notes of the meeting. She wrote Bellatrix's name down and listened diligently as Minerva began.

"It's wonderful to see some of you back from your vacation, but unfortunately we have preparation to begin, so with that said: Let's get down to business, shall we?" She flicked her wand summoning the refreshments that had been lying on a side table to the center of the large staff table that everyone was gathered around. "Feel free to drink and eat as we talk."

"The first things I'd like to address are primarily the new positions at the school this year and the adjustments we'll need to make to accommodate these changes. As you may know we had two members of our staff step down at the end of the year last year, including our headmaster. It shouldn't be news to any of you that I am taking Dumbledore's place and I will be the Headmistress this year at Hogwarts, and Hermione, my apprentice for the last 5 years, will be taking my previous position as Transfiguration professor. What may have been news to some of you as that I've selected Bellatrix Black to take the position of Defense against the Dark Arts."

She was unfazed by the slight murmur at the end of the table, "I've chosen Severus to take on the role of Deputy Headmaster, and I've spoken with Pomona and we've decided to place Neville and Draco as Co-Heads of Gryffindor, just to…share the load between all our apprentices."

Draco's eyes immediately widened, "Gryffindor?!"

McGonagall gave a small frown, but upon closer inspection most of the table could see the smile in her eyes, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy. Is there a problem?"

"I c-can't be put in charge of Gryffindor! I'm a Slytherin!"

"Would you rather I put the load entirely on your two peers, or perhaps I should give Gryffindor to your aunt?"

Bellatrix laughed at the mere thought being put entirely in charge of her rival house from school. She wouldn't purposely make them lose the house cup, but she sure as hell wouldn't help them if they didn't deserve it. She smiled to McGonagall, "I'm up to the challenge!"

Hermione shook her head and smiled, "You can't be Head of Gryffindor. It's against the rules, in order to be Head of House you need to have been placed in that house. You were Slytherin in school were you not?"

"Awww." The older woman pouted, "And I was just beginning to fancy the idea!"

Draco sighed out a breath, "Then I can't be put in charge!"

"These are however special circumstances, Mr. Malfoy. I cannot keep the position, Hermione's under enough stress as it is, and none of the other staff members are Gryffindor that are willing to take the position. I was under the impression for disciplinary problems and other such things that it would be best for Neville to handle them and since you have experience with the sport that you'd take on the responsibilities of our Quidditch team. Which I'm sure you would be enough of a goodsportsman to head them well."

The meeting continued without much more occasion, changes to be made to schedules, some corrections to procedures. The meeting was adjourned and the staff stayed as the house elves from the kitchens popped in and began to place platters of lunch foods for the staff members on the table. The table dissolved from the stiff and professional etiquette of their first staff meeting of the year to friendly banter as plates were filled. Hermione took a sandwich from a platter and a handful of chips and began to eat slowly. Bellatrix across from her on the other hand was looking at the platters indecisively. It wasn't until Draco noticed that she wasn't eating that he leaned over and covered her hand with his, she turned her head to him and Hermione could see the stormy indecision in her eyes as he whispered to her.

Draco eventually leaned forward and began to choose items for her, placing them in front of her. Hermione could just barely make out his words, "It's okay, Auntie."

Hermione frowned very gently, but merely reached for her drink and sipped it before starting a conversation with Minerva asking about the older witch's vacation.

~ Bellatrix / Hermione ~

Hermione walked slowly through the corridors as she read through Minerva's notes from the days when she'd been training to be an animagus. The elder witch had given them to her when Hermione had expressed interest in being trained some time ago, with the advice that while it would help her understanding the key would be meditation and introspection, and of course the true wish to be become an animagus.

She'd been practicing for years, meditating on it trying to connect with that part of herself before even attempting to cast the spell. She was brought out of the journal by Crookshanks yowl and hiss. She stopped and looked up and once more there was the dark witch. She frowned down at Crookshanks, "Aren't you a pleasant one?"

The cat hissed in distaste. Hermione bent down and scooped up the large old cat, "Calm down, Crook. It's alright."

Bellatrix crossed her arms under her chest, "It's no problem. To be expected honestly, smart animals are very adept at sensing those who've dabbled in the Dark Arts."

"You shouldn't talk about that."

She laughed dryly, "I've yet to meet a single witch or wizard who either doesn't know who I am and the mistakes I've made or can't sense it from the moment they meet me." She walked past briskly and Hermione turned her head to look over her shoulder and watch her go.

"Bellatrix…"

She faltered in her stride, "Yes?"

"I'm sorry. What I said was insensitive I didn't think. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

Bellatrix nodded once and continued on her way, in the direction of her new classroom. Hermione sighed and continued onwards to her own classroom. _God that sounds strange! My _own_ classroom!_


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Teaching with Bellatrix Black

Summary: An AU, in which the Wizarding Wars were thwarted before they began. Hermione Granger is a teacher at Hogwarts, and her newest colleague is proving to be…well. What more can you expect from Bellatrix Black? B/H

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story besides my own little filler characters. I am merely borrowing them to use as my little mind puppets. So if you recognize the name it most likely isn't mine or is a total coincidence.

*Any grammar and spelling issues are all my own problem.*

_A/N: First, thing I'd like to share, thank you to everyone who's already followed, faved, and for those of you who reviewed to share your interest in my story, it's been really wonderful part of my day to see all the interest in this story. Secondly, I wanted to give everyone fair warning that while I am still working on this story and am making plans to really commit to finding a direction to go and going for that medium-slow burn I mentioned in my first A/N, updates may be a bit spaced and erratic because I'm also juggling school, my job, and trying to be an active player for the RP board I'm part of. So without further ado, a new chapter._

~ Chapter 2 ~

Hermione smiled at the tall bookshelves that she'd installed on either side of the window behind her desk and the standing chalkboards. She sat down on the large desk and brushed at some of the dust that had settled on the legs of her trousers. She stood up after a moment of examining her handiwork and picked up her wand and tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans.

She stepped down from the raised lecture platform and began to open chests of books that she'd collected through the years of schooling and her apprenticeship. With a flick of her wand textbooks on Charms, Transfiguration, Magical Creatures, and dozens of other subjects flew from the chests to settle on the different shelves by subject. The empty spaces were soon filled with picture frames containing images of her friends and family all enchanted to show the movements of smiling and laughing figures.

Standing guard at the top corners of the bookshelves, closet to the window were a pair of statues that Harry had bought for her when he'd heard that she would be getting her own classroom. They were a custom made pair, one resembling a lion and the other an eagle, and they had been enchanted to watch over the class for cheating students.

Hermione preformed a few quick cleaning spells to sweep up the dust on the floor and wipe off the students' desks. The exotic birds, reptiles, and mammals were due to be moved into their cages on either side of the room the next morning. However, Crooks had already made himself comfortable on the corner of her desk, lying his head and forepaws on her well-read copy of 'Hogwarts: A History'.

She smiled at him as she sat down at her desk chair and scratched just behind his ears, causing him to blink the sleep from his eyes and purr at her from the attention she was giving. She smiled and opened the large leather bound book that contained all of Minerva's old teaching materials. Lesson schedules for each year of students, test questions, essay prompts, lecture structures and subjects, and spells to teach and practice. Schedules changed from year to year with each year's average skill level and understanding, so it would be the most difficult she assumed to decide who to proceed with this year's schedule.

Hermione stayed in the classroom until it had long past sundown, she'd been happily surprised to find notes on lectures that she'd never heard Minerva give. The subjects were high level stuff, most likely reserved for a round of extremely talented 7th year Transfiguration students, and Hermione had found herself intrigued with the various ways Minerva had planned to teach the high level concepts and theories to her students.

She was only roused from her study of the notes when she heard the sounds of heels echoing through the corridors and through the open door of her classroom to resound through the tall room. She looked up as a shadowed figure stopped in the doorway. She stared for a few moments and gulped as a flicker of the dark witch's dangerous smile passed through her thoughts. She stood up and with a large gesture of her wand the chandeliers cast their glow across the floor and out into the hall.

She frowned at the new Headmistress standing in the doorway, "You frightened me Minerva; lingering in the doorway like that."

Minerva nodded, smiling slightly as she stepped into the room, "You're nearly an hour late to dinner."

"Oh, of course." Hermione placed a bookmark in the large journal and closed it.

Minerva led the way out of the room and Hermione fell into step beside her. The older witch looked over her expression concerned for a moment, but it passed and she asked, focused once more on their direction, "So my notes most have been intriguing?"

Hermione laughed softly, "They always are Minerva. I'm not sure why you still bother asking."

"It's been a long time since you've gotten so lost in words."

Hermione shrugged, "I found some interesting lecture notes I'd never seen before."

"Of course," Minerva said more to herself than to Hermione. "I'm sure you won't be making a habit of it."

Hermione's eyes fell to follow the shape of her shoes as she walked, "No."

~ Bellatrix / Hermione ~

Hermione sat down at the staff table in the Great Hall on Minerva's left side with Severus on the Headmistress's right. All the other staff members were already comfortable in the seats they'd chosen for Dinner and Hermione sat down quietly smiling to the other staff members, and apologizing softly for her lateness.

She began to fill her plate with a few cuts of ham and some various sides within reach, not wanting to bother asking or casting any spells to summon some of the foods that were further down the table. The young witch was frowning down at her plate picking at the foods there as ideas provoked by the lectures she'd spent hours immersed in began to bounce through her head at tremendous speeds. It was hard to focus they were moving so fast, hard to do anything but try to slow down the ideas and absorb what her brain was processing without her.

Hermione frowned at her plate and ate small bites and chewed slowly, absently, as she thought.

"Miss Granger." She startled at her name and leaned forward to respond.

"Yes?" Bellatrix was mimicking the position seated to her right with Minerva, Severus, and Draco between them.

"I've heard you're a very bright witch with a good memory?" The dark haired waved her hand flippantly as she gave the compliment devaluing it with the carelessness she said it.

"Well, yes. People have said that." A crease formed between her brows as she tried to grasp what the dark witch could possibly be alluding to.

"You said to ask if I needed anything." The witch looked down at her plate and took a roasted carrot from the mix of foods on the plate and popped it in her mouth and after a few works of her jaw swallowed it and asked, "I've read the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's notes. They're sparse at best. I need help creating a lesson plan for this year."

Hermione was taken aback, "Oh! Yes, I can try to help I suppose."

"Good." That was all she said in response and Hermione frowned as Draco chuckled at the short response his aunt had given her, and seemed content to end the conversation with.

Hermione blinked, "Well, what time?"

Bellatrix brought her head back up, eyes glittering with some kind of mischief in her eyes, "What was that you said, Granger?"

"I was asking what time?"

"Lady's choice." Bellatrix stood up and light brown eyes clouded with confusion and curiosity followed the dark witch as she rounded the nearest end of the table, opposite Hermione and began to march down the center pathway of the Great Hall to the main doors.

"8 o'clock then?"

The clicking of her heels on the stone flooring stopped and Bellatrix turned the corners of her lips pulled up in a smirk as her black eyes observed the fact that Hermione had stood up to call to her. "My classroom or yours."

"Um…" Hermione suddenly seemed to realize that she was the only one standing at the table and the conversations of other staff members had suddenly halted. The silence hung for a moment as Hermione tried to push through the embarrassment and analyze where they should meet. "Yours."

Hermione slowly sat down and continued to pick at her food and Draco chuckled as he leaned forward, "So Granger?" He didn't even wait for her to acknowledge him, "When did you find the time to offer your assistance to my aunt?"

Hermione felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She stood up quickly taking the half eaten plate with her and left the table and Great Hall quickly head down and ignoring the calls from Draco and some of the other staff members. She found herself sitting in Minerva's old quarters – her new quarters, seeing as her mentor had moved into the Headmistress' Quarters behind a painting nearer to her new office – and sat the plate on some surface she passed as she walked in and immediately sat down at the desk and began to jot down some of the thoughts she'd managed to retain from the cascade of ideas that had whipped through her head. It was as if she was in a trance as at midnight she stood up neatly packed away all the items on the desk and stacked the notes in orderly piles and tucking them out of sight into her desk drawer and locked it as an afterthought, before walking off to bed. There was little other action in her movements and they were stiff and tired. She fumbled with the buttons of her high necked shirt and yanked at it until the material could be shimmied down her shoulders and dumped to the floor and her boots and trousers were removed with just as little concern as her shirt.

She stretched languidly in her underclothes and cast a simple heating charm to warm the icy cotton sheets and quilt before placing her wand in the tray on her bedside table that prevented the damn thing from rolling off in the night and finding its way to some usually hard to reach position under her bed.

Her mind had come to a halt too exhausted at the expense of studying and analyzing the material she'd read and written on tonight to even contemplate what she needed to think about. Her dreams were entirely blank and only in the deepest of sleep did her dreams turn to foggy glimpses of the profile of pale cheeks, a barely drawn smirk, and gleaming coal eyes.


End file.
